August, in all its hot, humid, waning-of-summer glory, is my favorite month of the year. It may be sweltering and sticky, but August is like the bachelorette party before the wedding: Live it up while you can, because school is gonna start soon.
Which is why sparkling wine is the perfect antidote to impending fall. Light, refreshing, and bubbly, it has all the ingredients for celebrating (mourning?) the passing of Casual Season. (Besides, I'm still practicing Champagne service for my sommelier test. I almost have the silent "pop" perfected, but if you have any tips, I'm all ears!)
So what kind of sparkling wine do you like in the summer? Tyler Colman, author of "A Year of Wine," recommends saving the expensive and complex Champagne for chilly winter and sticking to simpler bubblies when it's hot, and I happen to agree (except for my anniversary on August 26, when Champagne is the only way to go ... are you reading this, honey?).
After the jump, my criteria for smashing, wallet-friendly summer sparklers.
I have to admit, I discovered Gruet at the omnipotent chain restaurant, well small chain restaurant, Harry's Taproom. Harry's is less than a block from my home base, so several Buckley meals are consumed there per month. They pride themselves on their unique wine list, which I have discovered is not as unique as I'd thought, since I can usually purchase most of their wines at Total Wine.
It was New Years Eve 2007, and we were looking to have a pre-dinner cocktail before heading to another restaurant and then out on the town for some never disappointing D.C. nightlife. I wanted to start the evening off light, so I asked for a glass of bubbly. There were only 2 choices by the glass and one was a prosecco, which is always too sweet for me, so I asked about the other option at $7.50 a glass. I paid little attention to the name, but the state was quite intriguing; New Mexico! I had a feeling I was in for something nasty paired with a nasty headache, so I did what all revelers do on New Year's Eve, I said, Bring it on!
I was amazed by this lovely dry stunner and its tickling aroma of grapefruit and rustic copper. Sip by sip, I became more intoxicated with the joy that you can only experience by finding a great bargain wine under $15.00. Along with this odd pairing of state and champagne is the corresponding story about the European wine makers and their discovery of the rustic but fertile New Mexican terroire which I will link out to. The family also owns a steak house, which I am dying to visit.
As I did for champagne, I have been putting together a list of some of the best buys in Sparkling Wines of the World for the holidays. I combed stores and the internet for weeks looking for great wines at great prices. Each of these sparklers is a good buy for the money, as well as tasty and interesting. I tried to include as many Rosé bubblies as well since they are becoming so hot and trendy right now. Those in the know have been enjoying their great combination of dry fruit and nose tickling effervescence for years. The following list doesn't have everything out there, but each of these is a great wine for the price, from low to high, they're all worth it. If you have any suggestions please tell us what, where, and how much. Happy Holidays Everyone!
US Sparkling Wines
Barefoot Bubbly non-vintage Premium Extra Dry - $9
Domaine Ste. Michelle non-vintage Blanc de Blancs- $12
I'm writing this on Christmas morning before heading to spend the day visiting family and friends. I have a big bag of presents for the kids and a special box for the grownups. It's full of various bottles of bubbly, special sparklers, that fizzy fun called sparkling wine that I like to pop open on the holidays. Looking back I've always loved champagne and sparkling wines. I can remember as a kid getting a tall, thin, glassful during celebrations and holidays; sipping the tart wine as millions of bubbles danced on my tongue. Right from my first taste I had a deep understanding why we use sparkling wines to celebrate. It's because the wine is a celebration in a bottle. As soon as you open it the wine starts to hiss or pop, and then it wants to dance forth and celebrate being released from the bottle; to go forth and make you smile, laugh, dance, and sing. The sparkling wine wants to celebrate with you, whether the reason is big or small, it wants to be part of the party. It's just like that friend we all know, who, as soon as they walk in the door, joyously makes their presence known, and it is understood that the party will now get into full swing.
Champagne is what first comes to mind when the topic is sparkling wine. It's from France, costs a lot, and is oh... so... refined. It's where many people say sparkling wine first came from, and they have tried to keep all the bragging rights. To be called Champagne it has to be a sparkling wine made in a specific province of north east France called Champagne. If sparkling wine is made anywhere else, it can't claim the name Champagne, although if it made in France it is called Cremant. But although it isn't Champagne, the other sparkling wines of the world can be excellent. I've tasted truly great sparklers from the US, Germany, Spain, Italy, Hungary, South Africa, and Australia.
Rosé wines, the ones that are pink, have long been the object of a bit of snickering amongst oenophiles. They've been labeled as too sweet and too cheap, but in recent years, rosés have improved in quality. They are being embraced not only by wine connoisseurs, but when once "club-hopping hipsters and tastemakers" were sipping Prosecco and Cosmopolitans, now it's rosé.
In the past, rosé was often made with grapes harvested for other wines and doesn't age, making it less credible than reds and whites and hard to take seriously. However, wineries around the world have begun to harvest rosé-specific grapes. Needless to say, rosé quality has improved.
Who's been seen drinking the pink? Alex Kapranos, the lead singer of the rock band Franz Ferdinand, Pamela Anderson, and the MisShapes, a group of three influential Manhattan party promoters and DJs in New York.
If you want to try, here are a few suggestions:
Domaines Ott is the most recognizable brand of rosé and the top seller around New York's restaurant and club scene. The trendsetting rose was bought by Champagne Louis Roederer, the maker of Cristal Champagne, two years ago. However, it is rather expensive, ringing in at about twice the price of most rosés.
Just note that, according to some, "The rule is it's pretty much rosé exclusively all summer until the end of the season, around late September. By then we're all so rosé logged that we're happy to dry out for a while."
Told yer Prosecco is or is going to be the 'next big thang'. The August issue of Olive magazine has a recipe for a cocktail/pudding hybrid the Sgroppino (scroe-pee-noe) that uses Prosecco in the mix. They actually recommend the Bisol Prosecco Caldobbiadene Brut Crede (£10.89 Bibendum in the UK).
Shizz all in a blender and serve in Champagne flutes. Serves 1
Olive explains that this is served in Venice as a full stop to a meal. The name is from 'untie'; meaning to relax the stomach after a hearty meal. The Image is from What's Cooking America who offer a slightly different recipe.
Local produce is used nearly exclusivly across the range - there are Pears in Prosecco (Perine al Prosecco), mixed berries in Prosecco (Frutti di Bosco in Sciroppo di Vins Prosecco), radicchio in extra virgin olive oil, tagliatelle also made with radicchio and various meat products such as Soppressa and Lardo and a couple of cheeses.
Continuing the wine theme they also produce a Panettone made with, yep you guessed it, Prosecco that contains Prosecco grapes from the 'cru' vineyards of Cartizze. One product that I have personally sampled - several times ;-) - during my recent visit is Cartizzini. These are small, two-bite biscuits, not too sweet, containing a semi-dried Prosecco grape from the Cartizzi vineyard. As I said, not that sweet, and superb with a chilled glass of the bubbly!
No details as yet of stockists or prices. Hopefully I can report back when the details are finalised and they let me know.
The wine is made from a white grape grown primarily on the slopes of Valdobbiadene and the hills of Conegliano in the Veneto of Northern Italy. The grapes also grow in Friuli and Trentino, and even in Germany and Austria. In order to be labeled Prosecco, the wine must be made from 100% Prosecco grapes, though there are Proseccos on the market that are blends. While Champagne has an "intentionally bready" flavor, Prosecco is light and fruity, with a gentle and lingering aroma of almonds, apples, and pears.
The article has a list of about a half dozen Proseccos, all of which are under $20, the usual price range for Prosecco.
I would call them "Champagne Cocktails," but there's not a drop of
French Champagne in this house. No, it's all sunny California sparkling wine.
For a garden party, it's always easier to mix the drinks in a large pitcher, keep it cool, and pour, rather than
making each cocktail individually. Don't make sparkling wine drinks too far in advance, though, because you might lose
all the sparkle.
Everyone who's gone to a hotel brunch knows the Mimosa. It's easy. Two parts orange juice to
1 part sparkling wine, plus a splash or two of orange liqueur like Grand Marnier. If you're slightly heavy handed with
the sparkling wine, that's okay. In fact, if you're slightly heavy handed with the sparkling wine for any of
these, your guests might love you even more.
The Bellini is peachy. For every 750 mL bottle of sparkling wine (technically, we'd go with the
Italian prosecco), add 1 c. very smooth peach puree, 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice, and enough sugar to sweeten to taste.
Kir Royale is my favorite. For every 750 mL of sparkling wine, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of creme de
Cassis. That's black currant liqueur, and it makes the drink pink!
As I 
I'm writing this on Christmas morning before heading to spend the day visiting family and friends. I have a big bag of presents for the kids and a special box for the grownups. It's full of various bottles of bubbly, special sparklers, that fizzy fun called sparkling wine that I like to pop open on the holidays. Looking back I've always loved champagne and sparkling wines. I can remember as a kid getting a tall, thin, glassful during celebrations and holidays; sipping the tart wine as millions of bubbles danced on my tongue. Right from my first taste I had a deep understanding why we use sparkling wines to celebrate. It's because the wine is a celebration in a bottle. As soon as you open it the wine starts to hiss or pop, and then it wants to dance forth and celebrate being released from the bottle; to go forth and make you smile, laugh, dance, and sing. The sparkling wine wants to celebrate with you, whether the reason is big or small, it wants to be part of the party. It's just like that friend we all know, who, as soon as they walk in the door, joyously makes their presence known, and it is understood that the party will now get into full swing.
Rosé wines, the ones that are pink, have long been the object of a bit of snickering amongst oenophiles. They've been labeled as too sweet and too cheap, but in recent years, rosés have improved in quality. They are 
Told yer 
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine that many may label as city Champagne's less sophisticated country cousin. However, 
I would call them "Champagne Cocktails," but there's not a drop of
French Champagne in this house. No, it's all sunny California sparkling wine.
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